BMW Confirms Bluetooth Connectivity Issues with iPhone 7

BY Evan Selleck

Published 29 Sep 2016

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus cameras - featured image

Since the launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, BMW owners out in the wild have been reporting some issues with Bluetooth connectivity.

As it stands right now, it appears that the issue is not restricted to just one particular BMW-branded model, and, moreover, the issue seems to be plaguing some Hyundai and Kia models as well, but that appears to be a more minor case at the moment. For those suffering from the issue, it appears some users can connect for up to 10 seconds, and music even begins streaming, but then the connection with the infotainment center is severed.

To fix it, some users have said that restarting the iPhone will help, but the fix appears to only help for a short time, and some have said it doesn’t actually fix anything at all.

“My iPhone 7 Plus with iOS 10.0.2 will not stream audio for more than a few seconds in a BMW 4 series with the latest multimedia software. I have researched the issue and others with BMWs and other makes seem to be experiencing the same or similar streaming issues. Moreover, once the fault occurs the mobile telephone connection then becomes flakey as well. The only thing I can do is to disable the audio streaming option in order to have a phone that works in the car as a phone.”

For some customers, Apple has reportedly stated that a subsequent fix is on the way, and a future software update will include the patch. And, for its part, BMW has confirmed the issue, and says they are working “directly with Apple” to fix the problem.

“We are aware of the concerns you speak of and we are currently working directly with Apple to ensure iPhone 7 compatibility in our vehicles. At this time, the Apple iPhone 7 is not an approved device for our vehicles until testing has completed. We do not currently have an estimated time frame regarding the completion of iPhone 7 testing. Please continue to look for an update from Apple for a new iOS and our update website to help resolve your concerns: www.bmw.com/update. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.”

Have you noticed any issues connecting to your vehicle with Bluetooth?

[via MacRumors]